Elevator



A. H. THOMA.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-5.1920.

1mm 15; Patenteuune 6,1922.

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A. H. THOMAS.

ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED DE C.6| I920.

\- 1941991150 v PatenfedJune 6, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Iii.

AVERY H. 'rnorans, or Hou-srom', 'rnxes.

mnvaron.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, AVERY H. TrroMAs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, Harris County, Texas, have 1nvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in elevators to be used particularly in well drilling. It comprises a clamping block adapted to grip the drill stem, casing or other pipe when the same is ralsed or lowered from or into the well during the drilling operation. Such an elevator is ordinarily attached to the lower end of the traveling bloc-k supported within the derrick and is locked about the upper end of the pipe being used, and furnishes a means by which the same may be readily gripped by the tackle so that the pipe may be handled expeditiously. In order to facilitate the rapid handling of the pipe the elevator must have a locking or clamping means, so constructed that it may be readily secured to the pipe andagain quickly detached.

The object of my invention is to provide an elevator with an eflic-ient locking means to secure the elevator to the pipe, this looking means providing an automatic arrangement by means of which the contact of the elevator with the pipe willxclose and clamp the elevator to the pipe.

Another object is to provide an elevator of this character which is provided with a latch which may be readily opened and which will be automatically held in open position until the elevator is again adjusted about the pipe to be handled.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the specification which follows. Referring to the drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like parts are designated by like'numerals of reference throughout the different views, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the block constituting the principal portion of my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof, Fig. 4 is a broken detail in perspective showing the latch removed; Fig. 5 is a detail from the front of the block showing in section the lOCklIl device in open position; and Figs. 6 and are Specification of Letters Patent. JPaflmnt'edLune. 6, 1922, Application filed December c, 1920.- Serial views of the locking device in. its locking position.

In the drawin%s,'with special reference to Figs. 1 and 2, have shown an elevator block 1 which is elongated in form, having trunnions 2, one at each end. thereof, by means of which it is suspended by a bail, not shown, to the traveling block forrais-ing and lowering the same. The elevator is thus adapted to rock in the lower end of the bail in order that it may be more readily adjusted about the pipe, which it is adaptedto grip. The forward face 3 of the block is provided with a central opening 4 therein, the outer edge of which is beveled at 5, so as to more readily receive the pipe. The rearward face of this recess is rounded at 6 to conform to the is to be handled.

. The forward side 'of the opening 4 is closed to retain the. pipe in position within the central recess by means of a latch 7. This latch comprises a straight bar which is provided with a rearwardly extending lug 7 to assist in holding the latch in erect or open position, as will later appear. Said latch 7 fits behind forward bosses or lugs 9 on the front face of the block 1. This arrangement will provide a forward support to prevent excessive-strain on the latch in that direction due to the pressure of the pipe against the same durin the operation of the elevator. The latch% is pivoted at one end by means of a pin 10 which extends through the lug 9, the latch, and into the block 1 to contact with a locking device which will be later described. It is, therefore, adapted to swing vertically around the horizontal axis at 10 and, when opened, will stand in a vertical position, as in'Fig. 3, out of the Way of the pipe, thereby allowing the block to be quickly detached from the pipe. When in erect position the straight side 8 of the lug 7 will contact with the upper face of the block 1, as shown in F ig. 3, thereby preventing further movement away from closed position. The pin 10 is held non-rotatable relative to the latch by means of a set screw '11 so that the moving of the latch causes the rotation. of the pin in the block. I

The retaining of the latch in open position isaccomplished by a .locking pin 12. Said pin 12 is fitted slidably within a bore 13 ex--- tending through the trunnion 2 and the block 1 to the opening 4 in a direction at right angles to the pivot pin 10 and on a slightly lower level than the end of the said pivot pin. The locking pin 12 is rounded on its outer end at 14 to contact with the pipe. Its inner end is a fiat surface, furnishing a seat for a helical spring 15 which bears at its opposite end against a plug or pin 16 threaded within the end of the bore 13. The spring is under compression and tends to force the pin outwardly toward the pipe to be gripped.

The pin 12 is recessed on its upper portion intermediate its ends as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 so as to provide an inner shoulder 17, the upper face back of said shoulder being beveled at 18 to form an inclined plane supporting surface thereon.

The pivot pin 10 has its inner end cut down on two sides to form two plane lateral faces adapted to co-operate with the recessed face of the locking pin 12. Thus, when the latch is closed and the locking pin is withdrawn, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the face 19 of the pivot pin rests on the lower surface of the recess of the pin 12. The side 20 of the pivot pin then contacts with the shoulder 17 of the locking pin, thus holding said locking pin in withdrawn position. When the latch 7 is raised, the pivot pin 10 is rotated in a clock-wise direction, as seen. in Fig. 5, thus bringing the face 20 thereof over on to the beveled face 18 of the locking pin. The spring simultaneously acts to force the pin 12 to the left of the position shown in Fig. 5. The parts then assume the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the rounded end 14 will then project into the opening 4 when the pipe is removed. In this position of the latch 7 the contact of the flat face 20 of the pivot pin with the beveled face 18 will lock the pivot pin from rotation and thus hold the latch 7 in erect position. It will thus be maintained in erect position until the block is again swung against the pipe. The movement of the pipe into the opening 4 within the block will cause the pipe to contact with the rounded end 14 of the pin and force it inwardly against the action of the spring 15. As it moves inwardly it will slide the beveled surface 18 thereof from under the face 20 of the pivot pin. The latch 7 will then drop to closed position by gravity. This will be due to the pivoting of said latch above the horizontal center thereof and by the forming of the-operating handle 22 below the center, thus overbalancing the latch when erect and tending to close the same when not prevented by the locking pin 12 as described.

The operationof my device has already been described, but a brief summary will set forth the advantages of my invention. When it is desired to clamp the elevator about a length of pipe the latch 7 is raised. There isv no means of .holdinglthe latch in closed position except the weight of the latch itself and hence it may be easily raised into open position "where it will be automatically locked erect. The block is then swung toward the pipe. The pipe contacting with the beveled surfaces 5 is thus guided into the recess 4 within the block. When the pipe contacts with the end 14 of the pin it will force the same backwardly, throwing the beveled face 18 from under the fiat face 20 of the .pivot pin and causing the latch to drop again into closed position. The action of closing and latching the device upon the pipe is hence practically automatic. By this means the pipe may be quickly clamped within the elevator and, as will be obvious, the elevator may be readily detached from the pipe when desired. I have thus provided an elevator which is strong in construction and which may be readily attached or detached from the pipe when desired, the closing action being practically automatic, and the latch being positively held in open position when the same is raised and removed from the pipe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a block having ,a pipe receiving opening therein, means to suspend said block, means to close said opening and to grip the pipe comprising .a bar having a pivot pin at one end supported in said block, said bar fitting when closed within a slot in said block, and means to hold the said bar in elevated position comprising a spring-actuated locking pin cooperating with said pivot pin.

2. In a device of the character described, a pivoted block having a central pipe-receiving recess therein, a latch closing said recess. said latch comprising a bar adapted to swing about a horizontal axis fixed to said bar, said axis having ,its inner end formed with two lateral plane surfaces, means to hold said latch in raised position comprising a locking pin having a flat upper surface cooperating with the lateral surfaces of said pivot pin, said latch being pivoted off center to close by the contact of said locking pin with the pipe.

3. In a device of the character described, a pivoted elevator block having a central pipe-receiving recess therein, a latch adapted to close said recess, a pivot pin fixed in said latch and rotatable in said block, a locking pin coact-ing with the end of. said pivot pin to hold said latch in raised position and adaptedto be released and said latch closed by contact of said locking pin with the work.

4. In a device of the character described, an elevator block having a pipe receiving opening therein, a latch for said opening adapted to pivot on a horizontal axis fixed to said latch, a slidable locking pin at right angles to said pivot pin and adapted to contact therewith to lock said latch in open position; said latch being released by the sliding of said locking pin through contact of said locking pin with the work.

5. In a device of the character described, an elevator block having a pipe receiving opening therein, a latch for said opening pivoting about ,a pin fixed in said latch a locking pin at right angles to said pivot pin and having a fiat supporting surface thereon, a cooperating surface on said pivot pin and means to force said locking pin in posi tion to support and lock said pivot pin when said latch is in raised position.

6. In a pipe elevator, a pivoted block having a pipe-receiving opening therein, a latch for said opening having a pivot pin fixed thereto, a locking pin projecting slightly into said opening when said latch is raised and cooperating with said pivot pin to lock said I latch in raised position, said latch being pivoted in unstable condition and adapted to fall when said locking pin is forced against the pipe.

7 In'a pipe elevator, a pivoted block having a pipe-receiving opening therein, a latch for said opening having a pivot pin fixed thereto, a locking pin at 'anangle to said pivot pin and projecting into said opening and adapted to lock said latch in raised position and to release said latch when moved'by contact with the pipe.

8. In a pipe elevator, a supporting block, having a pipe receiving recess therein, a latch for said opening, means to automatically lock said latch in open position, said means being actuated to release said latch by contact of said means with the pipe.

9. In a pipe elevator, a supporting block having a pipe receiving recess therein, a latch for said opening, and means to automatically lock said latch in open position, said latch being so pivoted as to fall into closed position when released.

10. In a pipe elevator, a supporting block having a pipe receiving opening therein, a latch for said opening, a pivot pin fixed thereto and means cooperating with said pivot pinto lock said latch in open position.

11. In a pipe elevator, a supporting block having a pipe receiving opening therein, a latch for said opening, automatic means to lock said latch in open position, said locking means being released by contact of the same with the pipe to close saidlatch.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature, this the 12 day of November, A. D.

AVERY H. THOMAS. 

